Shoe form



May 13, 1930. w, DE W 1,758,278

s'HoE FORM Filed u 20. 1928 Wwz'am 23742? Patented May 13, 1930 entree-S ATES Fries 1' 1 WILLIAM J. nn wrrr, or AuBURn, NEW YORK, Assrenon 'ro snonronM o0. INC". or AUBURN; new YoRK, A CORPORATION or NEW'YOBK snon FORM] i'A pplication filed'December 20, 1928; -'Serial No. 327,400.

This invention relates to an improvement in shoe forms more particularly in shoe forms of the type whichcomprises a toe formland a thrust bar oribackjpart stay.

; These shoe forms are particularly designed .to'keep foot wear .plumped out or free from wrinkles and usually .comprise a shell adapted to fit into thetoe of the shoe,.said shell preferably being madeot celluloid ,Iorother resilient thin wall material- This invention is animprovement upon the'shoe form-shown in my Patent No.'1,646,016', differing therefrom in certain details of construction. .The

primary obj ect ofthis invention is to provide .an I expansible shoe vit'orm which will exert lateral pressure against the material forming the toe of theshoe, suchpressure being yieldably applied through a resilient thrust bar adapted to. rest against the heel counter of the shoe when the tennis in place,the thrust bar being so constructed that the latter can not shift out of its proper position relative thereto. A further object of the invention is to provide, in a construction ofthiskind, a connection between the thrust bar and the shoe form which limits swingingof the form relatively to the thrust bar,sinc e 'tree relaw tive movement of the parts necessitates the use of both hands in-inserting the toe form into the shoe. Another objectof the invention is to provide in a form of this character,

- a thrust bar made of a fiat strip of material and covered by a suitable fabri Other objects of this invention appear from a consideration of the following specification The shoe form here illustrated comprises a 5c shell designated by the reference numeral 10 andflwhich comprises a pair of side walls 11 and .12 which preferably-terminate at their lower-edges in flanges 14 and 1-5. These flanges maybe integrally connectedat the toe as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and arepreferably 155 in the same plane as shown in Figs. 3 and 4:-

so that when the form is positioned-ma shoe, the flanges rest upon the inner sole thereof.

The flanges 14; and 15 are.connected bycross members or braces tojwhich is secured ate thrust bar. Thus ,in the embodiment shown" in FigsQLand 2,'the fianges I l and 15 are connected by a single cross bar or brace 17 pivotally connected tothe flange 15 by'imeans of a rivet 18 passedthrough the flange and 'pivotally connected to the flange 14 by means ofa-ri-vet19. Therivet 19 is freetorecipro oate in a slot 20 of .arcuate formation-provided in the flange v1 L The for'mof the vslot 20 is fsuchthat whenlthe rivet 1'9.is atjthe 5 0 forward'end ot-theslot the side walls jlland 12 of the form-are expanded, while when the rivet 19 is at the rear endof the slot 20 the- .walls' arecontracted. l a 7 The cross bar 17 is provided intermediate n; its. ends with a loop22. The thrust bar .25 (Fig.2) is provided with a loop 31 at its inner end, which engages the forward "members 26 and 27 of the crossbar .17 and ,eX- tends over the rearward .member 28 of the to loop. As'shown inthe drawings-the thrust bar 25 is permitted a slight lateral movement inthe loop 22 andrmayhave aslight pivotal movementaround the parts26 and 27. The partl28, however, limits downward swingof the thrust. bar while the rear edge of the toe form proper will limit its upward movement. The thrust" bar 25 preferablylcomprises a flat strip. of metal, 30 which, at its forward end is bent back upon itself, toitorm theloop 31. The main portion of the stripgfor'ming the thrust-bar. 25 is preferably covered by fabric 32, the forward end of which extends intojthe loop 81andmay besecured there by being pinched between the tip 33 oftheloop and main body of thethrust bar. Theta'briccovering may also be secured directly to themetal in any suitable manner,

as by dipping the end of the thrust bar in w109 celluloid cement, which will hold the covering in place.

In Fig. 8 the flanges 14 and 15 of the toe form 10 are connected by a crossbar or brace 40 which may be pivotally secured to a rivet 41 fixed in the flange 15 and alsopivotally secured torivet'42, which isslidable in the slot 43 in theflange 14. The cross bar 40 is provided intermediate its ends with a'pair of integral return bends44 whichiextends up into the interior of the form 10. To the portion 46 of the brace 40 between thebends44 is attached the thrust bar 47 which in the present instance may be of a' resilient rod. of circular cross section such as is shown inthe patent above referred to. 'The rod 47 terminates in a loop 48 which surrounds the portion 46 of the cross bar. The bends 44 prevent any considerable lateral shifting of the toe form 10 with respect to the thrust bar 47. Fig. 4 discloses a construction similarto that of Fig 3 but having as'theequivalent of loops 44 a pair of spaced enlargements or burrs 5 0 which may be formed in'th'e body of the cross bar in any well known manner.

To increase'the effectiveness'of theseenlarge- "ments, discs 51 are threaded on the bar and. the loop" 48 and the forward end of the thrust bar 47 is disposed between the discs '51 and thereby is held in proper relative position. I

Inthe embodiment shown in Figs. 5' and .6, the flanges 14 and 15 of the form 10 are connected by a pair-of cross bars or braces 60 and 61, the forward end of. each brace being secured to a rivet 62 and the rearward end I being attached to a rivet .63 which is free to reciprocate ina curved jslot 64. As was pointed out above, when the rivets63 are at the forward ends of the'slotjs 64, the toe form is extended, while when they are "at the rear end of the slots the form is contracted. The

I 68 forming the thrust barf" is preferably secured'in place at its forward'end by-the engagement of the tip 69 of the loop 66 with the fabric (see Fig. 6). The fabric, however,'may be secured directly to the flat strip by'the-use of celluloid cement as pointed out above. I r

It will be noted that in each of the various embodiments herein describedthe form has only a limited movementlaterally 'with'respect to the thrust bar which is pivotally attached thereto and hence in any one of these embodiments the form can easily be 4 1,758,278 1 V 4 V v inserted in the toe of the shoe by manipula tion of the thrust bar alone. While certain embodiments only have been set forth I am not limited thereto since others could be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention "as set forth in the following claimsj' v 1 I claim 1. Anexpansible shoe form comprising a hollowthin walled member adapted to enter the toe of a shoe and having side walls, con- .necting means movable to expand or contract the side walls of the member and being attached thereto, and'a thrust bar pivotally joined to andadapted to move saidconnecting means, said connecting means including barriers which limit the lateral movementof said thrust bar thereon." I

2. An-expansible shoe form comprising a hollow thin walled member adapted to enter the toeof a shoe and having side walls which necting means attached to said flanges and movable to expand or contract the sidewalls of the member, and a thrust bar pivotally j o ined tosaidconnecting means intermediate the ends;thereof,sa1d connecting means having-barrlers whlch limit the lateral movement ofjsaid thrustbar thereon terminate at their lower edges in flanges,.con--- 3; An-expansible shoe form comprising a hollow thin walled member adapted to enter the toe of ashoe having side walls which terminate at their lower edges in flanges, connectingmeans attached to said flanges and'movable to expand or contract the side walls of the member, and a thrust bar pivotally joined to said connecting means 'inter-. medlate the ends thereof, said flange connect- 7 mg means ncluding barriers at'elther 'slde movement of-said thrust bar thereon. j

, '4. An expansible shoe form comprising a hollow thin walledmember adaptedto enter the toe ofa shoe'and having side walls connectingmeans movable to expand or con;

of jthethrust bar which limit the lateral tracttheside walls of the member, and being attachedithereto, and a thrust barpivotally joined to and adapted to move said connecting means, said connecting means including a barrier which limits thepivotalmovement of the bar-1n one directlon. I

5. An expansible shoe form comprising a hollow thin walled member adapted to enter the toe of a shoe and having side Walls which terminate at theirlower edges in flanges,

connecting means attached to said flanges V and movable to'expand or contract the side 'walls of the member and a thrust bar pivotally joined to and adapted'to move said connecting means, said connecting means includ ing barriers which limit the lateral movement oft-he bar in either direction and the pivotal movement thereof in at least one direction.

'6. An expansible shoe form comprising 2. 7

hollow, thin walled member adapted to enter the toe of a shoe and having side walls which terminate at their lower edges in flanges,

"a cross brace connecting said flanges, said brace having a movement of translation relative to one flange for expanding or contracting the side walls of the member, and a thrust bar pivotally joined to the brace and adapted to move it, said brace including barriers which limit the lateral movement of said thrust bar thereon. p

7. An expansible shoe form comprising a hollow, thin walled member adapted to enter the toe of a shoe and having side Walls which terminate at their lower edges in flanges, a cross brace connecting said flanges, said brace having a movement of translation relative to one flange for expanding or contracting the side walls of the member, and a thrust bar pivotally joined to the brace intermediate its ends and adapted to move it, said brace including barriers at either side of the thrust bar which limit the lateral movement of said thrust bar thereon.

hollow, thin walled member adapted to enter the toe of a shoe and having side walls which terminate at their lower edges in flanges, a cross brace connecting said flanges, said brace having a movement of translation relative to one flange for expanding or contracting the side walls of the member and a thrust bar pivotally joined to the brace and adapted to move it, said brace having a loop intermediate its ends, sald loop hav ng spaced forward and rear members, the thrust bar being joined to the forward member of said loop and passing over the rear member-thereof.

9. An expansible shoe form comprising ahollow, thin walled member adapted to enter the toe of a shoe and having side walls which terminate at their lower edges in flanges, a

cross brace connecting said flanges,- said brace having a movement of translation relative to one flange for expanding or contracting the side walls of the member, and a thrust bar tracting the side walls of the member, and a thrust bar pivotally joined to the brace and adapted to move it, said brace having a loop intermediate its ends, with which loop the thrust bar engages and by which loop thev lateral movement of the bar over the brace is limited.

8. An expansible shoe form comprising a 11. An expansible shoe form comprising a hollow, thin walled member adapted to enter the toe of a shoe and having side walls which terminate at their lower edges in flanges, a cross brace connecting said flanges, said brace having a movement of translation relative to one flange for expanding or contracting the side walls of the member, and a thrust bar pivotally joined to'the' brace and adapted to move it, said brace having a loop intermediate its ends, throughwhich loop the thrust bar passes.

12. An expansible shoe form comprising a hollow, thin walled member adapted to enter the toeof a shoe and having side walls which terminate at their lower edges in flanges, a cross brace connecting said flanges, said brace having a movement of translation relative to one flange for expanding or contracting the side walls of themember, and a thrust bar pivotally joined to the brace and adapted to move it, said braceincluding a loopintermediate its ends, said loop having spaced members, the thrust bar being joined to one member of said loop and being limited by the loop in its lateral movement over the brace.

. 13. An expansible shoe form comprising a hollow, thin walled member adapted to enter the toe of a shoe and having side walls which terminate at their lower edges in flanges, a

cross brace connecting said flanges, said brace having movement of translation relativeto one flange for expandlng or contractlng the side walls of the member, and athrust bar pivotally joined to the brace and adapted to move it, said brace having a loop intermediateits ends the loop having spaced forward and rear portions and the thrust bar being 1 joined to the forward portion of said loop.

' Signed by me at Auburn, New York, this 18th day. of December, 1928.

' l WILLIAM J. DE WITT. 

